Are There Any New Shannara Books Coming Out Soon?

Observations on trying to read The Sword of Shannara by this approach are a bit like watching a decent cover band play all your favorite classic songs on guitar rather than the original instruments. There is the standard hero’s journey, the ancient and evil and powerful thing, the varied and quirky group of friends, the long and arduous journey to the place of quest’s end. Where it diverges is in the fleshing out of the world, the feel and texture of same, and the nature and mechanics of the magic employed therein. And here again there is a strong contrast to The Lord of the Rings. Middle-earth has a deep, and profoundly melancholy, history, and that comes across in fine detail. Shannara, and particularly this first book, feels more like a stage for the play of the adventure than a fully realized world in and of itself. The writing is light and fast and straightforward and really doesn’t have the same sort of mythological weight as Tolkien’s work, which can be good or bad depending on one’s preferences. It makes for a great gateway drug for younger readers, or for those who for whatever reason couldn’t connect with The Lord of the Rings, but for a true fan of Tolkien’s work it’s all just a bit too derivative, a bit too much of a shadow of a better book. As a foundational work in commercial fantasy it certainly earns its due.

I have a feeling she may be slowing down. We haven’t had a book from her in about a decade and it seems to me that she’s getting slower and slower with her releases. I wouldn’t blame her, though. She’s had a very long and successful career, and I’m sure she deserves to be in semi-retirement. Meanwhile, historical romance has branched out into so many sub-genres, and I love her old books, but I’m not holding my breath for another one. In the meantime, her backlist is wonderful and I can happily re-read The Secret and For the Roses instead.

If this hadn’t been completed as a 14 book long epic then our conversation here today would be vastly different and probably truer to the sadness of Jordan’s passing. Instead, thanks in part to Harriet McDougal (Jordan’s widow and his editor) bringing in another writer to see this to completion, the story of Rand al’Thor has been fully told to audiences everywhere. That took a lot of courage on her part. So while it’s finished, it’s also important to remember the great deal of behind-the-scenes toil and pain that went into its completion – a story brought to completion through great loss but also incredible dedication.

I check the "Coming Soon" section of bigger online bookstores like Amazon and Barnes & Noble periodically. Publishers seem to put new titles up on these pages with a placeholder publication date (e.g. December 31st of that year) months before an official announcement is made. You can then check to see if Deborah Harkness has a new title upcoming and what the TBA date is for it. It's not as fun as waiting for a personal newsletter from an author you enjoy, but it's a reliable early way to know that something is in the works. I've discovered several titles from favorite authors by sorting by publication date on these "Coming Soon" pages. It feels a bit like insider trading, but it's perfectly legal and in line with the way books are sold these days.

As for what’s next for Rebecca Yarros and her readers after Onyx Storm, Yarros plans for two more books to complete The Empyrean series for a total of six novels. Her fifth and sixth novels will continue to produce plenty of drama, tons of dragons, and, of course, lots of love. I’m looking forward to the conclusion of her work with this series.

'Order of the Phoenix' is another fantastic book in the Harry Potter series after 'Goblet of Fire'. The story mainly focuses on Harry’s anger and loneliness, and the way the Ministry is denying everything Harry is saying is very painful and makes you angry too. The way everyone is rejecting Harry and especially how detestable Umbridge is in this book is awful. Also, the DA’s secret meetings were wonderful, and I loved the way the DA was fighting against Umbridge and the rest of the Ministry in secret. The confrontation in the Department of Mysteries is very intense and it contains a lot of pain and sorrow, but in the end, it’s also very heroic. In this book you can really feel the stakes are high and it’s really life-or-death.

Just Kids -Patti Smith

The protagonist Severian is very complex and that’s what drew me into the story. I never thought of a hero like this before. He is arrogant, often violent and can be quite introspective at the same time. Using the sword Terminus Est, meant for executions, to fight his battles makes you wonder if he’s bringing justice or more pain. The books never give you any easy answers. And as for the women in his life, Thecla, Agia and Dorcas show different sides to Severian. I can understand why some people might see him as a misogynist but others see him as being trapped by his conditioning. I don’t see him as either really, and part of the fun is that he is so divisive. He really does stay with you long after you have finished reading the book and it is only when you reflect on him that you realize just how complex he is and that there are so many different interpretations of him.

Comparing me to Scott Lynch, who is also struggling to announce a release date for the next Gentleman Bastard book and has been open to his struggles with mental health as well, makes sense because I am another deeply detailed, character-driven fantasy writer. The depth of our work seems to come at the cost of a brutal, and largely unpredictable, work schedule.

Dennis Lehane is bringing his trademark brand of crime and family drama to his new book, centering on a retired cop whose worst nightmare is about to come true: the man he put away for a decades-old murder is found to be innocent, and the real killer is still out there. Joined by the man he wrongly imprisoned for the crime, the two are forced to navigate a complex web of guilt, past grudges, and reluctant respect for one another in order to solve the case and possibly find some measure of redemption for their past mistakes. Lehane’s writing is as lean as ever, but it packs a brutal punch – and he explores the issues of institutional failure and redemption long after the book has ended.